Book Review: Swiped

Swiped is the identity theft warning disclosure that should be sold with every piece of "smart technology" or required reading before being allowed to signup for social media accounts. It should be right up there with sexual education in schools. Everything from your credit card, bank account, credit score, future mortgage interest rate, criminal record, and peace of mind are at risk of theft in the modern technologically embedded age.

In full disclosure, the author, Adam Levin is the chairman and founder of Identity Theft 911 which offers identity theft services to consumers... never hurts to create your own demand. However, that doesn't discount the value the reader of this book gains from the real-life examples, information provided, and prevention methods. I've never faulted someone for trying to make a buck providing useful information or services to consumers.

The format of the book slowly introduces the problem of identity theft, provides basic preventative measures to avoid theft (as much as possible), describes various types of identity theft, and provides resources for the average consumer to turn to; including, a glossary of scams, theft tips, how to
request your credit report, and templates for how to notify credit agencies of a loved one's death.

The book provides a great number of external resources to turn to for those who may want additional information, advisement, or emergency resolution.

1) Are you concerned about identity theft? With so many stories about identity theft in the news, you’re not alone. IDTheftInfo.org was created by Consumer Federation of America to help you learn how to reduce the chances of becoming a victim, detect identity theft quickly if it does happen, and deal with the consequences. If you have a business, there is information for you about how to keep employee and customer information secure. 2) If you want to check your credit score on Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action. You are legally required to be able to get 1 free copy of each report once a year. I typically recommend checking one every 4 months to space them out throughout the year.  3) I've personally worked with Identity Theft 911, now called CyberScout and very much liked the service. There are plenty of identity theft aids out there but of all the services offered I've found the resolution service to be the biggest bang for your buck. Talking to credit bureaus, researching where the fraud originated, and piecing the puzzle of identity theft together is hard for those of us with a busy schedule from 7 in the morning until 11 at night. I rely on someone else to do my taxes despite (or maybe due to in part) the mounds of information out there. It is just too much for my sleep deprived and emotional brain. As a strong believer in the need to evaluate opportunity costs between myself and others performing a task, I recommend paying for help.  By getting one or two fewer lattés at Starbucks a month you could reallocate that freed up capital to this worthwhile safety net.  Finally, even if you don't think identity theft is something you are worried about, yet... Reading the crazy scenarios, that are unfortunately accounts of horrible experiences people had to endure, was fun in itself (I may have a warped sense of fun).